Common Skin Conditions

Some common skin conditions that affect patients include eczema, poison ivy dermatitis, shingles and ringworm. While it may be difficult for a patient to discern what may be the cause of their symptoms, a trained medical professional can use their knowledge and further testing to recommend the proper treatment.

Eczema

Eczema is a skin condition that typically affects children, but it can occur in adults as well. One of the major risk factors for eczema is a family history of several ailments. If a child's family members suffer from eczema, asthma or allergic rhinitis, the risk that the child may also suffer from eczema increases significantly.

The two most common signs featured in eczema are extremely dry skin and severe itching with areas of pimple-like structures. People may notice that symptoms initiate or worsen after coming into contact with specific substances that include food, pollution, humidity or stress.

Patients with a mild form of eczema may see their symptoms go away without treatment, but those with the severe form will need medical care. At our urgent care clinic, we can help recommend medications to help reduce symptoms along with education on methods to prevent any flare-ups from reoccurring.

Poison Ivy Dermatitis

Poison ivy is a commonly known plant that contains a chemical called urushiol. This chemical causes a skin condition in those with specific sensitivity. Poison ivy is common to many areas of the United States and grows in woody areas. As such, it typically affects those who are hiking or camping.

Intense itching and redness are the two most common signs of poison ivy dermatitis. People may notice that these symptoms are found along with pimple-like bumps in a line or streak where the plant came into contact with the skin. These symptoms may occur anywhere from a few hours to a few days after coming into contact with the plant.

Fortunately, poison ivy dermatitis is very characteristic in its pattern and can be quickly diagnosed and treated at our urgent care. Treatment will usually include a topical cream to provide symptom relief or possibly an oral medication as well.

Shingles

Shingles is a skin condition that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox in children. Certain populations may have an increased risk for shingles. This includes immunocompromised patients, organ transplant patients, those with autoimmune diseases and HIV patients.

The symptoms of shingles include a rash that usually follows a particular timeline. It may start as small blisters or pimples that fill with grey fluid after three to four days. In seven to 10 days, these blisters rupture and will crust over. Most commonly, a burning or stabbing pain may occur in the area of the rash, which is sometimes triggered by a slight touch. In severe cases, the patient may experience scarring.

Treatment of shingles is highly dependent on how soon it is caught after the infection takes place. The sooner the patient visits us for treatment, the better chance we have of treating the issue and preventing the condition from getting worse. This is most important when the infection takes place near the eyes since it is possible to lose vision if treatment is not started soon after the infection begins. We can prescribe an oral antiviral therapy to kill the virus as well as medications to help with the pain.

Ringworm

Ringworm is a skin condition that, despite the name, is not caused by a worm but from a fungus. This type of fungal infection in adults may result from coming into contact with the fungus from a child, dog or cat. Ringworm is also commonly spread among athletes who have skin-to-skin contact, such as wrestlers and football players.

Ringworm gets its name from the way the skin condition looks, which is a circular or ring-shaped rash. This circular patch of skin will also be itchy, red and scaly. Ringworm transferred from cats or dogs can cause a very severe reaction and cause extreme itchiness.

We can diagnose ringworm quickly by taking some scrapings from the affected patch and looking at it under a microscope. The fungus has a very distinct shape, so we will quickly diagnose it. For treatment, we can also prescribe topical antifungal creams or lotions that will clear the infection and symptoms. If the area of infection is particularly large or there are multiple infections across the body, then we will prescribe an oral antifungal medication to effectively treat the areas.